An archive of articles and listserve postings of interest, mostly posted without commentary, linked to commentary at the Education Notes Online blog. Note that I do not endorse the points of views of all articles, but post them for reference purposes.

Monday, February 04, 2008

Washington Post Editorial NOT Liberal

Wash post pushes the Bush agenda for DC schools– which fits in nicely w/ Michele Rhee's, the new superintendent: more vouchers, more charter schools, and merit pay for teachers – which unbelievably, the Post claims has been" tried with promising results" in NYC.Leonie Haimson

On Feb 3, 2008 6:49 PM, Leonie Haimson wrote: I don’t think anyone would describe the editorial board of the Washington Post as liberal; they were strongly supportive of the Bush administration’s faith-based invasion of I do.Leonie Haimson

Norm Scott writesWhat is today's definition of a "liberal?" We may need a new vocabulary. In some circles "liberals" are now termed "neo-liberals" who hold a lot of values in common with neo-cons, especially when it comes to the corporatization of education. Opponents can be termed "progressives."

If you haven't read it yet, take a look at George Schmidt's analysis of Obama's ed policies in Chicago, where he has given total support to Mayor Richard Daley's ed "reform" program, a model for Klein and Bloomberg.

Here is the link: http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2008/01/schmidt-on-obama-and-education.html

And if you scratch around the Clintons you will probably find the same. There really isn't one candidate (maybe Edwards had potential) who would disagree much with the Washington Post editorial.

One day the Joel Klein, Michele Rhee, Andres Alonso, Paul Vallas, etc. model of education reform by turning schools into competitive testing factories and using teachers as scapegoats (when all union protections for teachers will be stripped away, who will they blame?) will be discredited and some new gimic will arise in its place - something new that still won't include doing the kinds of things that might work - like reducing class size.

Norm

Washington Post Editorial

A Boost for D.C. SchoolsPresident Bush's new budget would fund badly needed reforms.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

THE $32 MILLION in additional federal money that President Bush will propose for D.C. public schools tomorrow is important for two reasons. On the practical side, the extra resources could be used to jump-start school reform by making possible new programs. Symbolically, the decision is a powerful vote of confidence in the District and a confirmation that the leadership finally is in place to address the sad state of public education.

The budget will include funding to help Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee launch a new teacher merit pay program, recruit and train principals, and intervene in low-performing schools. Mr. Bush's package also includes money for charter schools and resources to sustain the D.C. school voucher program. U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings called the budget proposal an "unprecedented partnership" between the White House and the city. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's decision to make education his administration's top priority and his selection of Ms. Rhee has given real standing to the District and credibility to its reform efforts.

Ms. Rhee's interest in starting a program that rewards teachers who have demonstrated excellence is particularly exciting. Pay-for-performance programs are being tried with promising results in places such as Denver and New York City. Ms. Rhee will need to work with the teachers union to fashion a program that fairly assesses teachers and doesn't discourage them from working with students most in need. School officials say that they hope to have parts of the program in place by September. That sense of urgency, fast becoming a hallmark of the Fenty-Rhee strategy, is an acknowledgment that too much time has already been wasted in trying to fix the schools. Ms. Rhee refuses to let the political demands of adults interfere with the interests of students; her insistence on closing underused schools is the latest example.

Congress will need to approve the funding proposal, and it's important that members don't let politics or ideology derail the needed reforms. We think here of the $18 million the administration is earmarking for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides vouchers to students to attend private school. Leading Democrats have made no secret of their dislike of vouchers, but this program gives low-income parents educational options and it is operating successfully for scores of children. Opponents should think twice before they try to interrupt the education of these children. Mr. Fenty is right to urge Congress to adopt the proposal in its entirety.

Counter

About Me

Norm Scott worked in the NYC school system from 1967 to 2002, spending 30 of those years teaching elementary school in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn (District 14). He retired in July 2002. He has been active in education reform and in the UFT, often as a critic of union policy, since 1970, working with a variety of groups. In 1996 he began publishing Education Notes, a newsletter for teachers attending the UFT Delegate Assembly. In 2002, he expanded the paper into a 16-page tabloid, printing up to 25,000 copies distributed to teacher mailboxes through Ed Notes supporters. Education Notes started publishing a blog in Aug. 2006. Norm also writes the School Scope education column for The Wave, the Rockaway Beach community newspaper.